With All-Star Ryan Tucker bringing championship mentality, Cubs hope to end playoff drought in 2025
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Spring training is in full swing for the Cubs, who held their first full-squad workout on Friday, including new All-Star outfielder Kyle Tucker, who will try to help the Cubs avoid a third straight 83-win season and get back to the playoffs.
A playoff mentality is already being practiced at Sloan Park in Mesa, Arizona, as the Cubs seek to get back to the postseason for the first time since 2020.
While the stars didn't align to land another former Astro, after the Red Sox signed two-time All Star third baseman Alex Bregman, slugger Kyle Tucker is behind a lot of the Cubs' optimism for 2025. Besides averaging nearly 30 homers and 100 RBI over the past 4 seasons, the Cub's biggest offseason acquisition brings a championship mentality to team expecting to make a playoff push.
"I feel like it's always sold out at Wrigley, so they should expect the most out of us, as we should out of each other. So the expectations, I think, should be high and that should be the goal to win a World Series," Tucker said.
Tucker's new teammates certainly know what he brings to the table.
"His body of work is impressive. If you look at what's he's been able to do in his career to this point, I think he's a star in our game, and somebody that's gonna make our team a lot better," shortstop Dansby Swanson said.
"From a lineup standpoint, just having Tuck in the middle of that, wherever it ends up being, is gonna help us all out," left fielder Ian Happ said.
There's a chance Tucker will end up being a one-year rental when he becomes a free agent at season's end, but he said, "you never know how the future is gonna play out."
"You just try to take it one day at a time, and that's what I kind of what I try and do. Whatever happens later happens, but right now I'm a Chicago Cub, and I'm excited to be here, and trying to win games for the Cubbies," Tucker said.
Manager Craig Counsell said he didn't bargain very well when he surrendered his jersey number to Kyle Tucker, who's always worn jersey number 30. Counsell is switching to a number 11 jersey. Tucker said there will be a payment to be named later, once he gets to know his new skipper a little bit better and finds out what he likes.
Meantime, there's a distinct focus on finishing the job and playing into October after coming up short on making it to the postseason the past four years.
"Obviously that's the goal every year is to be in the playoffs, go out and win the division, and have a chance to play in the postseason. I feel like we have a really good group. I feel like we have a group that has a lot of experience, and done a lot of good things in the game," Happ said.
Second baseman Nico Hoerner said he feels this year's roster is the best he's been a part of going into a season since joining the team in 2019.
"It feels really exciting," he said.
Swanson said there's a lot of excitement on the team for the opportunity in front of them.
"We just gotta continue each and every day to just put the work in in order to be the best we can be. I think that that's gonna be the message to us this year; is just to enjoy the journey, but not take it for granted," he said.
Swanson – who won a World Series with the Braves in 2021 - said he "hated it" being at home in October the past couple seasons with the Cubs. He was much more positive about his health after core muscle surgery to repair a nagging injury that made it hard for him to laugh or sneeze last season.
